A variety of hand tools have been developed. These hand tools can have a number of different implements depending upon the purpose and desired functionality of the hand tool. The hand tools can include implements that are fixed as well as implements that are actuable or moveable in some manner. With respect to hand tools having implements that are actuable or moveable, the implements can be configured to move in different manners relative to the handle, such as by rotating or folding relative to the handle or by sliding inwardly and outwardly relative to the handle.
Hand tools that include implements that move relative to the handle may be advantageous in that such hand tools can include a number of different implements in a relatively compact package. For example, a pocket knife may include two or more blades that are carried inside a handle for storage and are capable of being selectively opened. In addition to knife blades, folding hand tools can include a variety of other implements, such as a screw driver, an awl, a bottle opener, a can opener, saw, file, etc., in order to add to the versatility and utility of the tools. In addition to implements that fold or rotate relative to the handle, any one or all of the foregoing implements can be designed to slide inwardly and outwardly relative to the handle if so desired.
While hand tools having implements that are adapted to move relative to handle are relatively compact in relation to at least some comparable hand tools in which the implements are fixed, hand tools having implements that fold or slide can still sometimes be bulkier than desired. In this regard, each implement is generally positioned in a side-by-side configuration such that the thickness or width of the hand tool increases with each additional implement. For example, a pocket knife may include a first folding implement adjacent a first side of the handle, a second folding implement adjacent an opposed second side of the handle, and a number of other folding implements positioned side-by-side between the first and second implements. If a hand tool includes implements that slide instead of fold relative to the handle, these sliding implements are also typically positioned in a side-by-side or laterally offset arrangement so as to similarly add to the thickness or width of the hand tool. Thus, it would be desirable to reduce the thickness or width of hand tools while still including the same number and type of implements in order not to unduly limit the versatility of the hand tool.
Hand tools commonly include implements that have cutting edges. For example, knife blades and cutting hooks both have cutting edges. In order to maintain the desired performance of these implements over time, the cutting edges must be sharpened following repeated use of the respective implements. As such, a sharpening tool, such as a honing rod or stone is commonly carried in addition to the hand tool. Thus, when it is believed that a cutting edge is duller than is desired, the sharpening tool is located and the cutting edge is sharpened. Unfortunately, a user of a hand tool is therefore required to carry not only the hand tool, but also a separate sharpening tool, thereby adding to the number of different items with which the user must keep track. In this regard, as the sharpening tool is used only intermittently, the sharpening tool can be misplaced between uses such that the user is forced to expend an inordinate amount of time attempting to locate the sharpening tool. In instances in which the user is in a remote location, such as in the woods or on a lake, the user may be unable to sharpen a dull cutting edge when desired if the user cannot locate the sharpening tool. Thus, it would be desirable to ensure that sharpening tools were more readily accessible to the user of a hand tool.